What started as a hobby to pass the time during the peak of the pandemic, eventually turned into a school service project to enhance the care of PAH patients.
In 2020, Rafael (Rafi) Foster, son of Jody J. Foster, MD, MBA, chair of Psychiatry at PAH, taught himself how to knit as a creative outlet, first creating mittens and scarves.
The 16-year-old wanted to put this new skill to good use and in 2022 established the Knitting for Charity Club at his high school; he and his classmates knit and donate hats to homeless shelters in the cold winter months. In December, the knitting club made nearly 40 hats for holiday gift bags, which were delivered to patients experiencing housing insecurity at Hall Mercer Community Mental Health Center.
“[Jody and Rafael] walked into Hall- Mercer with a huge bag of hats. It was unbelievable,” said Patty Inacker, DSW, MBA, LCSW, Behavioral Health Service Line administrator. “It was such a heartwarming gesture to make these gifts for our patients.”
“Rafi has made me nothing but proud since the day he was born,” said Foster. “But this tangible product of his kind and generous spirit, his leadership, and the fact that he wanted to donate the hats to PAH because of his firsthand knowledge of the good work we do, has been a great thrill for me.”